This invention relates to improvements in apparatus and methods that utilize centrifugal force for distributing granular materials in an even flow over the edge of a rotating surface to a plurality of circumferentially disposed receiving points.
Such types of apparatus are disclosed in many prior devices in a variety of forms in an environment where material is delivered to the axial area of a rotatable disc which is rotated at a speed fast enough to create a centrifugal force of sufficient impulse to urge such material centrifugally outwardly from the axial area towards and over the edge of the disc to a receiving point. In some instances, the movement of material is assisted by spider arrangements, agitators and valves and, because of the substantial centrifugal force required to move the material from the axial area to the edge of the disc, the use of a centering hopper attached to the disc for rotation therewith, has been used to impart some initial motion to the material delivered to the disc through such hopper. With such types of apparatus that use the rotating disc, it is well known that at any given speed of rotation, the centrifugal speed and impulse will be much greater at the perimeter than at the axis so that in such apparatus, the speed of rotation required to produce a centrifugal impulse sufficient to get the material in motion from the axial area and move it across the surface of the disc to and over the discharge edge thereof results in such a substantially greater centrifugal force and speed at the discharge edge that any precise control of the speed and volume of material flow to points of receipt is extremely difficult and is a serious disadvantage of known devices.
With the above observations in mind, it is one of the important objects of this invention to overcome the disadvantage noted and to provide a material distributor for moving granular materials over the edge of a rotating member to selected receiving points during which the speed and volume of material being moved can be precisely controlled.
Another object herein is to provide apparatus and method of the above class in which granular material is delivered to the peripheral area of a rotatable surface and is moved centrifugally outwardly from said area to selected receiving points by rotating said surface at a speed only sufficient to initiate movement of said material at said peripheral area.